This invention relates to an automated apparatus for lining the inner wall of a vessel with bricks. More particularly, this invention relates to a brick laying apparatus comprising a work platform which is vertically movable within the vessel and capable of rotating about the vertical axis of the latter; and a robot for manipulating and laying bricks along the brick lining of the wall, the robot being mounted on a support pivotable about a first vertical axis.
Several apparatuses for lining the inner wall of a vessel with bricks of the general type described above have already been proposed. For example, in Luxembourg patent application numbers 86,114, (corresponding to U.S. Application Ser. No. 915,635 filed Oct. 6, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,562), 86,189 (corresponding to U.S. Application Ser. No. 937,587 filed Dec. 3, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,226), and 86,188 (corresponding to U.S. Application Ser. No. 937,646 filed Dec. 3, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,036) all of which are assigned to the assignee hereof and are fully incorporated herein by reference, brick laying devices are disclosed for the repair of converters. In all of these apparatuses, the general problem of overcrowding on the work platform is present. In fact, such a work platform must provide storage zones for at least two pallets of bricks, means of raising and lowering the pallets, such as a system with winches and cables, a control booth for an operator, and usually an automatic brick depalletization mechanism. Moreover, these devices must leave the necessary room for the installation of a robot for manipulating and laying the bricks and, above all, the space which the robot needs to execute the required movements. Because the overall size of the work platform does not change with the size of the converters, the problem of overcrowding on the platform is more serious as the size of the converter decreases. In other words, space available for the robot decreases with the size of the converter.
For repairing small converters, a robot of reduced size must therefore be provided. However, this gives rise to the disadvantage that the same apparatus cannot be used to repair converters of larger size, because the effective radius of such a smaller robot is inadequate.